People

By Michele Orecklin

BUT WILL IT LAST?

Last week actor Michael Douglas, 55, got engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, 30

PROS He's doing the best he can to act like a plugged-in youngster--he announced the engagement on his website

She has practice being a love interest to older men--she played Sean Connery's paramour in Entrapment

CONS He's rumored to have struggled with sex addiction

His practice playing the husband of a younger woman in A Perfect Murder didn't end well--his character tried to kill his wife

PREDICTION: Yes! They share the same birthday, and many marriages have survived on less

TURNER LOOSE

If they were not an obvious couple, they were at least an intriguing one. Her Hollywood roots ran deep; he was an entertainment mogul. Her media domination centered on the world of aerobics, his on politics. She was an outspoken liberal activist; he was merely outspoken. So it may not have shocked many last week when actress JANE FONDA and CNN founder TED TURNER announced their separation after eight years of marriage. Though the two were often seen swooning over each other, there were reports of divergent views on spousehood. In 1998 Turner revealed that the two were seeing a marriage counselor, which perhaps led to his suggestion last year that the ban on adultery should be bumped from the Ten Commandments. In a statement, the two did not concede defeat, saying they are committed to the "long-term success of our marriage."

MAYBE GINA LOLLOBRIGIDA SHOULD JUST STAY HOME

RAQUEL WELCH JAN. 5, 2000: Having arrived in a horse-drawn carriage to open a winter sale, the alluring and mature actress suffered a sprained ankle after a lengthy tour of Harrods, the famed London department store.

SOPHIA LOREN JULY 7, 1999: Having arrived in a horse-drawn carriage to open a summer sale, the alluring and mature actress fell off a stage after being attacked by a cockatoo at Harrods, the famed London department store.

HE MAY BE ONE DEPRAVED BRAVE

Is it better to be ruled unhinged than to be perceived as an appalling racist? Last week Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig ordered Atlanta Braves pitcher JOHN ROCKER to undergo psychological testing for racist, xenophobic and homophobic remarks the pitcher made in a SPORTS ILLUSTRATED interview last month. Calling Rocker's comments "reprehensible" and "inexcusable," Selig says he will wait for the results of the tests before deciding how the southpaw reliever should be disciplined. Rocker agreed to start the testing immediately. Evidence that he might be somewhat disturbed surfaced during last fall's National League championship series when the Braves played the New York Mets. The pitcher began feuding first with the New York fans and later with the entire Empire State. Braves president Stan Kasten says he believes Rocker, who saved 37 games during the 1999 season, should be punished. He also expressed concern about Rocker's ability to repair relations with his teammates and "the community."